Nare Nare - Armenian Song

Thanks once again to my mom for providing the vocals to this song. Nare Nare is an Armenian love song with different lyrics depending on its regional variety--the Western and Eastern variants being very different in terms of the words, though the overall meaning of the song is always the same. The song is often played in two Maqams (modal scales), either Bayat or Nihavend, the latter of which is the scale used in this arrangement, Nihavend being the same as the Western Aeolian mode.

Unlike my previous Armenian covers, which had a more distinctly Eastern Armenian sound, this one channels more of a Western Armenian sound. The duduk takes the centerpiece of the instrumentation, whilst a Turkish saz, an oud, a qanun and an Iranian santour accompany the melody. A bendhir provides the percussions. Western Armenian music, due to its geographical position, has more in common instrumentation-wise with Turkish, Levantine Arabic and Greek music whilst Eastern Armenia, given its geography, is closer to Iranian and Azerbaijani sound palettes in terms of instrumentation and rhythm.

Lyrics transliterated:
Naren yelel e, sar sndzi kert’a,
Mazern ardzakel, shagh talen kert’a:
Yaroj ach’k’i dem kak’avi nman,
Ser anelen yar, elel e kert’a:
Hay Nare-Nare, jigyars varre,
Im sirats yary akh minuchar e:
Hey Nare-Nare, jigyars varre,
Im sirats yary akh minuchar e:
Sareri yeghnik, du ch’k’nagh Nare,
Hazarnerin yar, sirt khmaye,
Karotats ach’k’i du ch’k’nagh yeraz,
Hmayvats tesk’i, du siro muraz:
Hay Nare-Nare, jigyars varre,
Im sirats yary akh minuchar e:
Hay Nare-Nare, jigyars varre,
Im sirats yary akh minuchar e

English translation:
Nare has got out,
Moving around the mountain
And her hair wore loose
is waving in the wind
Like a little partridge
In front of her beloved one’s eyes
With a heart full of love
She is walking around
Hey, Nare, Nare
My heart is burning
My dear beloved
Is the one and only
Like a graceful mountain deer
My charming Nare
Conquers with her beauty
The hearts of thousands
Like a delightful dream
For the longing eye
Like a desire of love
For the allured one
Hey, Nare, Nare
My heart is burning
My dear beloved
Is the one and only